ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how simulation-based training and assessment can enhance safety, resilience, and design quality in modern, highly automated socio-technical systems. While Human Factors research has improved our understanding of safety and usability, training and performance evaluation have received comparatively less focus. Accident investigations consistently reveal that failures often originate from inadequate preparation, reduced situation awareness, and weak non-technical skills rather than solely technical faults. In the context of digitalisation, AI-supported decision systems, remote operations, and integrated control environments, the chapter argues that training must serve both as a learning intervention and as a form of design validation, demonstrating how interfaces, procedures, and automation function in practice.
Drawing on examples from maritime, aviation, healthcare, and process industries, the chapter traces the evolution of simulators, including full-mission systems, VR, and digital twins. It emphasises the importance of task analysis, pedagogical alignment, and human-centred design. Particular focus is given to ongoing weaknesses in assessment: subjective ratings, limited validation, and underuse of rich simulator data. The chapter explores emerging approaches, including computer-aided performance assessment, AI-enabled analytics, and cross-sector learning. It highlights future priorities, including longitudinal transfer studies, stronger assessment cultures, and careful integration of VR and AI within a Safety-by-Design framework.
